Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

Geoff Cameron and Stoke City face a stiff challenge on their quest for a deep run in the FA Cup when they take on Manchester City in a rematch of the 2011 FA Cup Final.

Yaya Toure is absent due to the African Cup of Nations, while Mario Balotelli and Samir Nasri are injury questions heading into a match against a Stoke City side with their own share of injury woes.

In South Africa, Didier Drogba and Ivory Coast take on Tunisia in a key clash, while Algeria faces Emmanuel Adebayor and Togo in the day’s other African Nation’s battle.

Michael Parkhurst will be looking to make his Bundesliga debut when Augsburg take on Schalke 04. Jermaine Jones is still suspended so he won’t make the potential American reunion, but the match is a vital one for Augsburg’s chances of avoiding relegation.

If you will be watching today’s action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

I looked at the Stoke web site, and simply says Cameron not playing, makes no reference to injury. What I would love to see is Cameron not suiting up because a team has made a January transfer bid for him. He has done a great job so far at Stoke and I would not be surprised if he is being monitored by better teams.

Seriously there is no interest in Wondolowski? 27 league goals in a league comparable to Austria/Denmark. Surely a few Dutch or Portugese or even Mexican clubs would want him. His grandpa is Polish so he has a EU passport

Wondolowski is terrible on the international scene and what do you know about football to compare MLS to Austria or Denmark? Since when did MLS compare to any league? Can’t even mention it next to Mexican league. Win something first like the Concacaf Champions League.

Now that is super important…we need Fabian for the Honduras match in less than 2 weeks…I hope he is just held back as a precaution….otherwise we are screwed unless Chandler plays Left Back….Parkhurst could play it as well but I don’t know I kind of wanted a more natural left footed guy against Honduras who will have players in form from Europe

Edgar Castillo has been playing really well for Xolos at left back. Xolos plays a high energy style that might match up better against CONCACAF teams than the Bundesliga players. And behind him in the depth chart, Justin Morrow can match speed with any of Honduras’ forwards, although you don’t want to give someone their first cap in a game that matters.

I’ve all the confidence in the world in Edgar Castillo as LB. He can play out of the back and get forward. Against Honduras, I wouldn’t sweat it. I wasn’t impressed with Johnson’s last outing, but he’s the starter.

It’s not really a lock that Castillo does great for the US, he hasn’t really put in a good game for the US without some dumb move….he has been playing well with Xolos and he will be tested vs Libertadores teams so I’m glad about that, which should help his development into more of an international player

Morrow? Really? You want to look at a guy with NO CAPS maybe one if he starts vs Canada his 2nd at best cap IN HONDURAS? He will have to worry about guys like Espinoza, Chavez, Boniek-Garcia… all from MLS except for Espinoza who is in England now…I don’t know man….There’s also guys like Costy and Bengston who do very well in Concacaf qualifying and with experience in international games. Hell Bengston I think scored against Spain or Brazil in the Olympics last summer. Sorry but Morrow is not a great solution, he would have to turn in one HELL of a performance next Tuesday to even be called up.

Klinsmann doesn’t call up Lichaj at all, so that is another reason why it’s reason for concern….Chandler is known for not coming thru at the last 2nd for Official matches so who is left? Parkhurst? Like I said not the most solid guy there at left back. Sky isn’t falling but our defense is already shaky and weak, LB was a problem if he’s hurt enough that he misses the match in HON that makes it worst….also Dolo hasn’t played the last 2 matches for Hannover…

As an Arsenal fan, the Arsenal – Brighton game is brutal….Arsenal is being outplayed…Santos and Diaby are the worst players on the pitch…Ramsey doesnt provide anything going forward, beginning to wonder if he’ll ever be the player he once was…the lack of depth is scary

TV announcers on the Man U vs Fulham game say the body language of Fulham players is very bad. And that was even before they went down 0-4. I am so glad Clint got out that situation having to deal with Martin Jol. Brede Hangeland still has not signed the contract extension that Jol has offered him.

Our HEX opener is in 2 weeks and our starting RB and LB are both out injured today. Although the injuries may not be that severe it is still a concern and one in which we can address. Timmy C at RB is great for me but it will be his first official cap, on the road in Honduras, so it’s a tough start. We could slide Boca to the left for a solid, yet slow, backline, or call in Lichaj or Castillo. EC is playing very well for the Mexican Apertura champs and it might be an option. Parkhurst is an option too but he is not starting, (or playing), for Augsburg yet. “Tawlk amungst ya selves!”

Huge Galaxy fan….so much so that I rooted for them and not against them when I went and saw them go up against 2 teams who I am also a big fan of and are my 2 most beloved European clubs in AC Milan and Barcelona….hell I been fans of those teams since I could keep up with them on TV as 5 year old…

But LA is my hometown so yes, huge Galaxy fan, I guess I rooted for them because well I saw this team from birth. I’m going to try to get tix for opening day….we should head out in a group. I got a couple of buddies who want to go as well

I agree, there is cause for at the very least, minor concern at the number of injuries: Cherundolo and Johnson did not dress today because of injury. Cameron also did not dress, but we do not know why, although Ziggy up above thinks he is “sick or something.”

I do rate Fabian better than Castillo. But I also can say (as a big fan of Fabian) that his form the past couple of months has not been good. I am hoping that he will start playing better with the new Hoffenheim coach.

As for Timothy “I really would rather play for Germany but since they don’t want me I will swallow my pride and play for the USMNT because I want to play in World Cup 2014” Chandler, he is a big question mark.

Some people are raving about him as if he is the second coming of a world-class right back. Sorry, guys, but Dolo is still much better. Also, Timmy’s Bundesliga form the past few months has generally been fair to bad. Plus, while some players were earning their stripes by sweating for the USMNT in WCQ games last year to gain a spot in the Hex, Timmy was relaxing by his phone hoping for a telephone call from Jogi Low asking him to join the Germany team. Since autumn 2011, Chandler has played one international game for the USMNT, and that was an average performance in November 2012 against Russia.

Timmy has not yet had the pleasure of playing in a Concacaf WCQ game and we do not know yet how he will hold up to the pressure. I, for one, am not yet convinced he has the right stuff. We shall see.

(And, yes, it is true, I don’t much care for the guy and think we have better options at fullback, guys whose first choice is to wear the US shirt and who would sweat blood for the team and I think, in the end, those are the type of guys that will carry the team the furthest, not the prima donnas.)

I attended this game, and it’s hard to overstate how badly Canada played. Denmark made its nice precise runs and passes, and Canada was powerless to stop most of it. 4-0 final score could have been worse.

Does anyone know why Greg Garza–after coming off the bench and scoring a crucial goal for Tijuana on the road in Monterrey in the playoffs at the end of 2012–never again appeared, not even once, on the match day roster for los Xolos?